Heritage of Ancient Greece

AP European History

• Explain how geography influenced the development of Greek culture

• Compare/Contrast the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta• Explain the impact of war on the Greek city-states (Persian and

Peloponnesian)• Describe the achievements of classical Greece• Discuss the spread of Greek cultures in the ancient world

Objectives

• Location – eastern Mediterranean• Mountainous peninsula• ¼ arable land – olive trees and grape vines• Relied heavily on the sea for fishing and trade• Rough geography limited transportation and communication• Isolation led to the development of independent city-states

• Athens• Sparta

Geography of Greece

Physical Geography

• Minoans (2000 BCE – 1400 BCE)• Located on island of Crete• Traded throughout Mediterranean world• Knossos – advanced city – no defensive walls• Elaborate frescoes• Influenced later Greek civilization

• Achaean Civilization (1400 BCE)• Located on Greek mainland• Invaded from north and occupied peninsula• Built fortress cities• Built on achievements of Minoan Civilization

Early Civilizations in the Aegean

Minoan Frescoes

• Approximately 1250 BCE• Achaeans under leadership of king of Mycenae• Troy was a rival trade power - controlled the Dardanelles – key

waterway to Black Sea• Achaeans eventually defeated Troy (Trojan Horse)• Story told by Homer in the Illiad

• Homer’s version has the war starting over the kidnapping of Helen – the wife of the king of Sparta

• “It is no cause for anger that the Trojans and the well-greaved Achaeans have suffered for so long over such a woman: she is wondrously like the immortal goddesses to look upon.”The Iliad

The Trojan War

• Polis – fortified hilltop and surrounding fields• Acropolis – fortified hilltop – center of government• Monarchies Aristocracies Tyrannies

• Tyranny - government by an individual who seized power• Tyrants had the popular support of the people

• Greek colonies grew between 750 BCE – 600 BCE• 650 BCE the phalanx evolved as an effective battle technique

• A massive formation of heavily armed foot soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder

• Required precise training and maneuvering• Some city-states formed democracies

Rise of City-States

• Named after the goddess Athena• Located in Attica peninsula – poor, rocky soil• 612 BCE – Draco - drew up a strict law code• 594 BCE – Solon – eliminated slavery, limited amount of land

one person could own, extended citizenship to artisans• 560 BCE – Cleisthenes – created a legislative assembly and

extended citizenship• 461 BCE – Pericles - Golden age of Athenian democracy – direct

democracy

Athens

Ancient City of Athens

• Run by a monarchy of two kings• Council of 28 elders• Assembly of citizens• Five Ephors (overseers) elected annually to run daily affairs

• Strong military state• The motto of Sparta was, "Never retreat in battle, however great the

odds, but always stand firm, and to conquer, or die." • Boys began training at age of seven

• Lived in a military barracks• Strict discipline and long hours of training

• State provided each “citizen” with land and slaves

Sparta

• 493 BCE – Persian king Darius launched an attack• Athenians defeated Persians at Battle of Marathon• Themistocles convinced Athenian Assembly to build a fleet of

ships• 480 BCE – Persian king Xerxes invaded Greece

• Spartan stand at Thermopylae (Leonidas and the 300)• Xerxes tricked into sending Persian fleet into straits of Salamis• Athenian navy trapped & destroyed Persian fleet

• Athens emerged as leader of Greece

War with Persia

• 477 BCE – Delian League formed• 160 city-states• Defensive alliance• League treasury moved to Athens

• Athens prospered through control of the League• Golden Age of Athens• 431 BCE – Peloponnesian League formed

• Headed by Sparta• Resented Athenian prosperity

Athenian Empire

• 431 BCE - Conflict between Athens and Corinth led to war• Involved all of Greece• Athens won naval battles• Sparta invaded and surrounded Athens• Fighting lasted 27 years• Plague and starvation forced Athens to surrender• Both sides weakened by the conflict

Peloponnesian War

• Drama & Literature• Tragedies and comedies• Poetry – the Illiad and Odyssey

• Philosophy• Socrates – Socratic Method• Plato – The Republic• Aristotle – founded the Lyceum

• History• Herodotus – founder of history• Thucydides – more objectivity

• Science• Pythagoras – mathematician• Hippocrates – medical advances

Classical Greece

• Alexander the Great & Hellenistic Culture• Conquered a large empire including Greece• Blended eastern and western cultures• Cultural diffusion and spread of Greek culture

• Hellenistic Science• Center for study at Alexandria in Egypt• Euclid – geometry• Archimedes – lever

• Philosophy• Epicurus – earthly pleasure• Zeno – Stoics

Spreading Greek Culture